How do YOU Elvis?

Last weekend we saw ELVIS!!! OK, so it really wasn't Elvis, but it was the Elvis Tribute concert sponsored by the Elvis Foundation - so maybe it was a little less cheesy than your average Elvis impersonator show...

It was really good. There were FOUR Elvis's... I know I could hardly contain my excitement...I still can't understand why women rushed the stage to get a sweaty kiss from fake Elvis... Were they under some delusion that ELVIS was in the HOUZZ??? very wierd...

So what girl can't resist a little pleather... He was just dreamy...

And here's the finale - so how do YOU Elvis???

Oops, I forgot a few layouts...

Around our family when we say "the girls", we mean Morgan, Avery and Hannah (Ashley's daughter), but i realize now that most of my friends don't even know about Hannah. They just hear about Nick and Parker. So here's precious Parker WITH his big sister Hannah...

and lastly, the Christmas pictures taken at Avery's school - of COURSE I had to buy them!

Test Results...

Morgan's MRI went perfectly on Thursday and on Friday we found out there is nothing abnormal about her brain - huge sigh of relief. So now we will work with a pediatric neurologist to help the migraines. Since they are hereditary and I know mine are caused by stress, I can already tell Morgan's are too. On Wednesday night, she told Ironman how her hurt "in the back" (ie - the beginning of a migraine). She was naturally anxious about the next day.

And again yesterday, she told Ironman how her head hurt behind her left eye (ie - full migraine). I'm sure the stress of the week is lingering - it sure is lingering in me! But overall we have good news - no serious illness, just a solvable problem with medicine and good medical care.

Instead of therapy, or rocking in the corner in the fetal position, I've been scrapbooking...

Hoping you have a week filled with laughs!

Heather

Just what I needed...

I found this on a friend's blog... I got goosebumps... I LOVE it!!! Hopefully you'll enjoy it too!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEdVfyt-mLw

So when I'm fingers away from the END of my ROPE during tax season, you just might hear this blaring from my computer :)

An Emotionally Taxing Day...

Child in the hospital for tests = anxiety

Child in hospital for tests when anesthesia doesn't work correctly = frightening...using the term loosely...

Morgan suffers from migraines (with a host of other symptoms)... So we are going through the process of ruling everything out to {hopefully} find out it's JUST migraines... But for a 6 year old that isn't fun either...

Blood work was fine... No leukemia (do you think I panicked when I found out that was a possibility?), no iron deficiency, no thyroid problem, no mono, no whatever else the lab work checked...

So next step...MRI.... It is difficult for even an adult to be still for an hour in an MRI machine, so the doctor ordered IV sedation. As of today I know there are 3 types of sedation (I'm sure there are a ton more). Oral, IV and general. IV keeps the patient breathing on her own. So I guess her entire system isn't "put to sleep".

So we start... Morgan gets the "magic spray" on her hand to numb the IV entry spot. Vein #1 - blown. Lovely... mom's heart breaks for the first time... Vein #2 on the opposite hand was more cooperative, but this time, Morgan new what to expect and was scared and crying.

Next, Lay Morgan on table and start the Diprivan which of course stings as it goes in, so she starts crying and squirming again. After a few minutes, she starts to "sleep", but her little body fights. Kicking her arms and legs constantly and the anesthesiologist can't get her oxygen levels to read on the monitor, so he has to put a "tunnel" in her nose to open the airways (using phrases like "we don't want to cause too much trauma")... music to a mother's ears...

So... she's asleep, not fighting, oxygen registering on the sensor... she's ready to go... I give her a kiss.... and break down into tears... It's OK though, the MRI is starting, and will be over in an hour...right? wrong...

The MRI room door is open with the Anesthesiologist standing outside - in our view... Not 7 minutes in and Morgan SITS up on the table (doc said she stood up, but I'd prefer to think she sat up)... way to go Diprivan!... so doctor comments that "she's a feisty one" but he goes back into the room... then he came out and said they were stopping the procedure... he had given Morgan the maximum dosage of Diprivan for her size and it wasn't working...

Shane sees the nurse and Radiology Tech quickly pull all of the cords, etc off of Morgan and wheel her out of the room back to us. The Anesthesiologist explains that he didn't feel comfortable administering anymore meds to Morgan, and Morgan was needing General Anesthesia. Fine, very happy that he is cautious and conscientious... so as Morgan wakes up she asks, "Is the picture over?" ... Real fun explaining that the picture machine "didn't work" and we get to do all of this again on Thursday - except Thursday there won't be any needles or magic spray, because they will give her "monkey perfume" (as described by nurse) before doing all the "other stuff", but we left it at "monkey perfume" for Morgan...

So down to pre-registering... again! With the hospital, the nurse and anesthesia... By this time it is 2:30 and we are all STARVING and grumpy and Shane and I are SPENT! I thought it was just me, but even Ironman was wiped out after the MRI experience.

I realize now just how emotionally taxing it is having a sick child - especially one that needs tests, hospital visits, etc. I have even more respect than before for parents with children who have diseases that require constant medical supervision. I pray that Morgan ONLY has migraines.

Throw in a pediatrician appointment tomorrow mandated by the anesthesiologist to make sure her stuffiness isn't an infection, and we are getting closer to an answer.

Thanks to everyone who asked about Morgan, sent prayers her way and texted and emailed during the day. Please keep those thoughts coming on Thursday... I'll keep you updated...

PS - Here's the trooper... Asking for Chuck E Cheese...

Does this require an intervention?

A former room mother friend told me that she looked at children's socks at the beginning of the school day. The color of the socks gauged whose moms were asked to bring food to the class parties and whose moms were asked to bring the paper products. This particular piece of info is haunting me (you'd think the meds would eliminate the haunting - oh but NO)...

If the room mother asks me to bring napkins and cups I am toast! So... what am I doing??? What any other insane OCD mother would do...

Bleaching school socks on my bathroom counter in a Pyrex dish... I am laughing at the ridiculousness of this as I am writing it, but it's not stopping me...

New campaign in the Bellanger house: "No Paper Products for Us!!!"

You're in my bubble...

I have NO IDEA where this came from... but Morgan now tells Avery, "You're in my bubble" when she is too close. Pretty clever. I'm adopting it - so beware... My bubble is large, but Ashley's.... now hers is GINORMOUS!!!!

Jessica Colby will be at Scrapbook and Co on Saturday...

January 16th... Jessica has taught at Scrapbooks Etc in Metairie and Memory Mania in Prairieville, and now she's coming back to Co. to teach back to back to classes.

I will be there - front and center - I love everything Jess!

She is teaching a home decor projects and a double page layout. Loaded with technique, product and typical "Jessness" (so maybe I made that up)!

Here are some pics

I'm excited about decorating plates to decorate the space between my kitchen cabinets and the ceiling. Please join us! Each class costs $24. Just call Scrapbook and Co to reserve your spot. Hope to see you there!

My VERY nebulous New Year's Resolution...

No numbers on the scale, no caloric intake goal, nope none of that...

I'm striving for a hotness level. If you have ever met my friend Paula, you probably have a girl crush on her just like I do. She's not hot in the "oh, I eat whatever I want and never exercise" kind of way. Those people are born lucky and they don't exist in my world (except for a VERY few VERY close friends -I've known them too long and love them, so I ignore their natural hotness).

Paula is hot in the "gotta work out and watch what I eat" kinda way. You know, a real person! And she's been through heavier and lighter times - last year she won the weight loss competition and she just kept going!!!

So to clarify, I'm only trying to get HALF as hot as Paula is NOW by December 2010. By December 2010, Paula will probably be contacted for the cover of the SI swimsuit issue, so I'm trying to get to HALF of her PRESENT hotness.

Over the past few days when I have been tempted to stuff that Oreo in my mouth, I think about what Paula would do (kind of like WWPD - maybe I should make a beaded keychain...). She would NOT eat the Oreo, unless of course, she exercised that day and felt that she deserved a treat. She doesn't deprive herself, she's very good about moderation (very UNLIKE me!)

So, thank you Paula, for being an inspiration to me! And if possible, I would love to have a "mini paula" to sit on my shoulder all year... can anyone do that???

Frightening, but true....

I am craving a schedule... a To Do list that can be completed... a routine...

The holidays have been wonderful, but just once, I would like to pick up the toys and have them stay in the basket... or finish the laundry without another load immediately appearing...

At least at work, no one intentionally undoes what I do accomplish... Now in a few weeks, you may need to remind of this post...

I was lucky enough to get some scrapbooking in...

I LOVE Pink Paislee - I finally used The Amber Road collection on these amazing pictures of Jen, Dom and Nick.

then there's the Parkerman...

Have I mentioned how thankful I am for my nephews?????